Conventional beds generally include a frame, a box spring that is supported by the frame and a mattress that rests on top of the box spring. Conventional frames generally consist of a headboard, footboard, and two pairs of spaced, parallel side rails that form a rectangle that conforms to the shape of the box spring to be placed thereon. The spaced parallel side rails support the outer periphery of the box spring mattress. Although sufficient for most smaller beds, the rectangular configuration fails to sufficiently support the center of most larger beds, such as queen or king-sized beds. Up to 70% of the weight of a sleeper rests on the center “support zone” of the bed and a lack of support in the support zone can result in bowing of the mattress and instability. Such bowing and instability of the mattress can result in discomfort for the sleeper and excessive wear on the mattress and bed frame.
One approach to providing support to the center zone of the bed is to use a plurality of wooden slats (or cross-rail supports) that rest on the side rails of the frame and extend along the width of the bed. However, wooden slats are generally undesirable due to their lack of rigidity and tendency to sag, warp or break after extended exposure to the weight of the bedding and/or the sleeper.
Undue sag or deflection of the cross-rail support may be avoided by using stiffer materials, such as metal rails in place of the wood slats. Further support for the mattress may be achieved by using a leg, or legs, attached to the cross-rail. The legs rest on the floor and are located beneath the support zone of the bed, supporting the cross-rail from below. Although an improvement over wooden slats, metal cross-rails of varying sizes are needed to fit each individual type of bed size. Given the large number of bed widths, retailers frequently encounter the problem of having too many, or too few, of a certain type of cross-rail support.
Currently, adjustable cross-rail supports are used in the bedding industry to allow the cross-rail supports to be lengthened or shortened to support different sized beds. In addition to their adjustable overall widths, another feature to these adjustable cross-rail supports is the use of a plurality (usually two) of leg supports which allows for better support to the support zone.
However, the placement of the leg supports relative to the side rails is often dependent on the overall width of the cross-rail support. It would be advantageous to have a cross-rail support system with an adjustable overall width to fit varying sizes of mattresses and adjustable leg supports where the placement of the leg supports along the support system is independent from the overall width of the support system. This would allow for the placement of the leg supports to be determined not based on the width of the mattress but rather for support and comfort or other considerations such as possible obstructions underneath the bed. Furthermore, it would be advantageous if the support system was easy to use and required a minimal number of parts.